LONDON COUNCILS EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND BOROUGH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME 2016-2018

Application Prospectus 7th February 2017 Deadline for applications: 12 noon, 7th April 2017

www.londoncouncils.gov.uk

# Contents

01. **Introduction** .................................................................................................................. 3\
    The European Structural Investment Funds ........................................................................ 3\
    ESF Investment Priorities .................................................................................................. 4

02. **Project Specification** .................................................................................................... 7\
    Specification 1 - Hounslow: Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills Project ............... 7

03. **Participant Target Groups** ............................................................................................ 17\
    Core Project Requirements ............................................................................................... 18

04. **Project activities, outputs and results** ......................................................................... 19\
    Outputs and Results for payment ..................................................................................... 20

05. **Added value** .................................................................................................................. 23

06. **Partnership working** ..................................................................................................... 24

07. **Submitting an application** ............................................................................................ 25

08. **Horizontal Principles (Formerly Cross Cutting Themes)** ........................................... 37

09. **Monitoring and reporting on your project** .................................................................. 41

10. **Financial information** .................................................................................................. 42

11. **Publicity arrangements** .............................................................................................. 43

12. **Assessment process** .................................................................................................... 44\
    Appeals ............................................................................................................................. 45\
    External panel .................................................................................................................... 45

13. **Payment arrangements** ............................................................................................... 47

14. **Contacts** ..................................................................................................................... 48

15. **ESF Programme Guidance Documents** ..................................................................... 50

Annex A .................................................................................................................................. 51

1. Introduction

Welcome to the prospectus for the London Councils European Social Fund (ESF) Borough Programme 2016-2018.

London Councils’ ESF Borough programme is part of the European Structural and Investment funds (ESIF) Growth strategy(^1) for England in 2014-2020.

The European Structural Investment Funds

The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) are the European Union's main funding programmes for supporting growth and jobs across EU member states. They form a small but important part of the UK Government’s overall growth activity.

In England, for 2014 to 2020 the programmes consist of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF) and part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). These have been brought together into a single Growth programme with individual operational programmes aligned to maximise support for jobs and growth.

The Growth Programme is delivered across England's 39 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas, each of which has an ESIF Strategy to support local delivery. The £6 billion funds within the Growth Programme have been notionally distributed to LEP areas. ERDF can fund activity such as support to SMEs, ICT, Low Carbon and research and innovation. ESF supports employment, skills and social inclusion.

The London 2014-2020 ESIF Strategy(^2) sets out the key areas for ESF investment in London and aligns to the London Enterprise Panel’s (LEP’s) three skills and employment themes: promoting sustainable employment and progression outcomes, ensuring individuals and employers are better informed to drive the skills and employment system and engaging with London’s businesses to help drive growth in the Capital.

ESF in London is managed by the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) European Programmes Management Unit (EPMU) who has been designated by Government as an Intermediate Body for ESF and ERDF.

The LEP, through the GLA, London Councils and other local partners, have developed a range of ESF provision to meet local needs. There are five ESF Co-Financing Organisations for 2014-20 in London. They are:

- Greater London Authority
- Skills Funding Agency
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Big Lottery
- National Offender Management Service (NOMS)

(^1) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/461596/ESF_Operational_Programme_2014\_-\_2020_V.01.pdf (^2) https://lep.london/publication/european-funding-strategy-2014-20 ESF Investment Priorities

The 2014-2020 ESF Programme has two main Priority Axes, each with a number of Investment Priorities:

**Priority Axis 1 – Inclusive Labour Markets**

**Priority 1.1** **Access to Employment for Job-Seekers and Inactive People** - Improving the employability and skills of the unemployed and economically inactive people

**Priority 1.2** **Sustainable Integration of Young People** - Employment and Skills activities targeted at young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET

**Priority 1.3** **Youth Employment Initiative** - This will focus on helping young people, particularly those not in education, employment or training (NEET) to participate in the labour market and learning in areas eligible for the Youth Employment Initiative.

**Priority 1.4** **Active Inclusion** - To address the root causes of poverty which creates barriers to work so more people move closer or into employment

**Priority Axis 2 – Skills for Growth**

**Priority 2.1** Enhancing Equal Access to Lifelong Learning

**Priority 2.2** Improving the Labour Market Relevance of Education and Training Systems

For more details please see the 2014-20 Operational Programme at [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-social-fund-operational-programme-2014-to-2020](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-social-fund-operational-programme-2014-to-2020)

**The London Councils’ ESF Borough Employment Programme - Priority 1.1 – Access to Employment for Job-Seekers and Inactive People**

The London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme 2016-18 will focus on delivering the strategic objectives of ESF Priority 1.1 – Access to employment for Job-Seekers and Inactive People.

This Programme will specifically fund projects that will assist individuals who are disadvantaged to tackle their barriers to work and sustainable employment. Such activities should include help to identify the barriers individuals face in moving into work (for example; confidence, lack of recent work experience, basic skills, job seeking and job-related skills, or other material barriers like debt) and working with them to tackle these barriers.

For this Programme, London Councils and the participating borough of Hounslow welcome applications for grants from organisations and partnerships to deliver projects strategically aligned with ESF Priority 1.1 and can show links with other programmes supporting these Priorities. This is part of a wider London Councils ESF Programme. The project (listed in Table 1 below) should be innovative and add value to the mainstream provision.

The Programme will focus on people that are economically inactive and long term unemployed. In this way, the London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme 2016-2018 can help the London boroughs contribute towards national indicator targets for employment and poverty by targeting workless people.

This Prospectus sets out the borough specific projects as well as the criteria and conditions for potential providers applying for this grant funding.

Project/s will be funded between the dates specified on the specification. Please note that project/s will start no earlier than 5 June 2017.

Table 1. London Councils ESF Hounslow Borough Employment Programme 2016-2018.

| Borough(s)/Consortium | Project Name | Funding Value | |-----------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------| | Hounslow | Digital Media, Technical and Creative Skills | £175,400 | | **Total** | | **£175,400** |

- Please note: The value of the Hounslow project may potentially increase if sufficient borough funding and ESF funding is available. PROJECT SPECIFICATION

2. Project Specification

Specification 1 - Hounslow: Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills Project

Introduction – Hounslow Borough

Hounslow Council commissioned the Hounslow Skills and Employment strategy in 2014 which set out its commitment to improving the skills and life chances of the borough’s residents. The strategy was developed in response to the shifting wider economic and political context which was part of national skills reform with a sharper focus on economically viable skills led by employers, and a welfare reform system which focused on a stronger emphasis on claimants seeking employment. It was produced in consultation with local employers, skills providers, residents, and other key partners such as Jobcentre Plus.

The strategy sets out a new approach to working with employers in the borough, to improve residents’ skills and access to the labour market. It followed on from the publication of Hounslow’s Local Economic Assessment [2011], and updates to this which were produced in 2013 and presented to members of Hounslow’s Economic and Business Forum and Hounslow’s Skills, Training and Employment Partnership. The strategy sits within the framework of the Council’s Economic Development Strategy [2013] and wider regeneration plans. The strategy has four key aims which are:

1. To support local employment growth and enterprise through improving access to skills and reducing mismatch between demand and supply
2. Improving all young people’s achievement and progression into employment
3. Improving pathways into work for the unemployed and progression in work for low paid residents
4. Improving access to information, advice and guidance and labour market information

The Skills and Employment team in partnership with partners work to deliver against the aims and specific targets within the strategy.

Hounslow Council is proactive in the local employment and skills agenda and has a number of projects which are helping to support Hounslow residents into employment and apprenticeship opportunities. The Skills and Employment team were successful in securing European Social Fund [ESF] funding for the Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills Project, Working People, Working Places and the expansion of the Skills Escalator programme.

These innovative projects aim to help support the employment and skills agenda in the borough with a focus on supporting some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable residents. These projects are leading the way nationally in terms of shaping the thinking about service re-design, new methods of engaging with residents and tackling recurring barriers to employment and skills progression. The project will run for two-years and will aim to ensure adults aged 25 and over who are either long term unemployed or economically inactive are able to move towards securing employment opportunities with local businesses in Hounslow’s Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sectors either through obtaining relevant training/qualifications or direct employment. A successful project would aim to deliver against the targets set out in the project specification which would result in building a ‘local talent pipeline’.

**Demographic Data**

*Hounslow has a total population of 265,600 [Nomis, 2014]*

*Projections from the GLA indicate that as of 2015 just over half (51.6%) of Hounslow residents are from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. The largest non-white ethnic group in Hounslow is Indian [52,300], followed by Other Asian [30,100] and Pakistani [15,200]. In addition to white British and Irish residents, Hounslow’s white population also includes a substantial number of residents from other European countries, particularly EU accession countries such as Poland and Romania.*

*Total working age population is 180,400 [Nomis, 2004]*

*The number of residents who are economically inactive are 40,600 [22.4%] [Jan – Dec2015]*

*The number of JSA claimants in the borough is 2375 [March 2016]*

*Indices of Multiple Deprivation [IMD] – Overall severe relative deprivation in Hounslow seems to have increased slightly since the IMD results were published back in 2010: the borough has 16 LSOAs in the most deprived 20 per cent nationally in the 2015 IMD (including two in the top 10 per cent), compared to 12 (of which one was in the top 10 per cent) in the 2010 IMD.*

**Strategic Documents**

*Hounslow Skills and Employment Strategy*

*London Borough of Hounslow – Sectors Research*

*Nesta - Tech Nation 2016: Transforming UK industries*

**Sector information – Local and National Research**

A research report conducted by Regeneris called ‘Hounslow Sectors Research’ in 2015 has shown the strength of the Media and ICT and Digital sectors of Hounslow’s economy. These sectors are seen as high growth areas for the foreseeable future and we know from national, and local research reports and through discussions with local employers there are skills gaps within these sectors. The Regeneris research has shown - three quarters of these businesses reported they experienced no difficulties in recruiting appropriately skilled staff. However, skills challenges were reported in IT development / software skills which are found in roles across the ICT and Media sectors. The Regeneris research showed the relative strength of Hounslow’s Media and ICT/Digital Media in comparison to the other 33 London boroughs. In Hounslow, 13 per cent (18,800 jobs) of the total jobs in the Hounslow economy are based in the Media sector which is the highest proportion of all the London boroughs. This shows the relative strength of the Media sector in Hounslow’s economy. The London average for jobs in the Media sector is only 3 per cent.

Similarly, 9 per cent (12,900) of the total number of jobs in the Hounslow economy are based in ICT/Digital sector, where Hounslow is 2nd only behind Islington on 10 per cent. The London average for the jobs in ICT/Digital Media is 4.9 per cent.

The above tables and information have shown the relative strength of Hounslow’s Media and ICT/Digital Media sectors in comparison to the other London boroughs.

Below there is a summary of the key points and figures from the key sectors summary which has been produced from the Regeneris report:

**Hounslow Media & Broadcasting Sector**

- 18,800 jobs (13 per cent of total) which increased 8,600 (+84 percent) since 2009
- 410 businesses (4 per cent of total) increased by (+19 per cent) since 2011
- 99 percent employ 0-4 people, but a small number of very large companies such as SKY employ the vast majority This sector is mainly concentrated in the east of the borough, 50 per cent of businesses are located in Turnham Green and Chiswick

Sector trends – Export driven and domestic growth expected – UK entertainment and media market alone is forecast to reach £63bn by 2016

Professions – STEAM subjects, Gaming, Mobile entertainment and media, Animation, e-commerce

Threats to the sector – Fragmented funding landscape, incompatibility of traditional financial products and infrastructure gaps

Local specialisms in Production and broadcasting – 78 per cent of the sector’s employment base across almost 300 businesses

Local specialisms in Wider Professional services related to media – 3,400 jobs in 160 businesses

Local specialism in TV Triangle & Enjoy-Work cluster – developing a media tech cluster in west London

Technology – The online presence of the media sector promotes a uniquely large freelance workforce who work from home, with specialist equipment and fibre optic broadband commonly seen as the only necessary tools to do business

Hounslow’s ICT & Digital Media Sector

- 12,900 jobs (9 per cent of total) increased + 4,300 (+50 per cent) since 2009
- 1,900 jobs businesses (16 per cent) and has increased 51 per cent since 2011
- Large proportion of micro-businesses – 94% employ 0-4 people compared to 81 % across the overall business base
- Location – Relatively diffuse but with business concentrations in Hounslow Town centre (27%) and Turnham Green and Chiswick (20%)
- Sector trends – Driven by both its own high value potential and its enabling role, helping to drive innovation and productivity in other sectors
- Professions – Big data, new broadcasting technologies and delivery models, mobility and connectivity, need ‘work ready’ graduates, e-commerce
- Threats to the sector – UK is experiencing an annual shortfall of 40,000 scientists, engineers and technicians, while international competition from US and Asia is also a major challenge to growth
- Local specialisms in Development and Business activities – includes activities relating to computer consultancy and software development this sub-sector constitutes over half of Hounslow’s ICT & Digital sector employment (6,600)
- Local specialisms in Wholesale of computers & software – 33 per cent of sector employment (4,300 jobs)

UKCES – Sector Skills Insights: Digital and Creative

The Digital sub sector generates value from the systems, services, software and communications backbone on which everyone depends, and covers telecommunications, computer programming and information service activities

Synergy between the two sub sectors: “Digitisation is making creative firms more technology-intensive” (NESTA)

The Creative sub-sector generates value from creative content, both digital and traditional, from television to film to publishing, and also covers advertising, design, photography, performing arts and cultural heritage Key messages – The sector contributes £92 billion to UK economy, and employs nearly two million people. The UK is ranked 6th in the world for its overall competitiveness in IT but has declined from 3rd. This drop is echoed in other areas of the sector. International competition in the creative sub sector is being driven by policies that are often more ambitious than those in the UK. The digital and creative sector is highly successful. It makes a significant contribution to the economy and enjoys world class status, which needs to be sustained. It is projected to grow and evolve rapidly over the next decade.

Partly because of this success several challenges exist which threaten the sector’s performance:

- The quantity of digital graduates
- The quality of creative graduates
- The gender balance and lack of financial investment in the workforce

There are a number of examples which exist where these challenges are being tackled successfully through employer-led skills solutions. If the sector is to realise its potential this action must be scaled-up and employers must play a greater role in developing the skills they need.

Digital and Creative sector – Key Skills Challenges

Attracting talent is a key challenge – Applications to computing/IT degree courses have nearly halved in the last decade. The digital sub-sector employs three times more men than women. The creative sub-sector has an oversupply of graduates but they often lack specialist skills.

Not enough employers invest in the workforce – Half of employers train their staff, but the proportion that train has fallen in recent years. Although much training is done informally, spend per employee in the sector is below average.

Sector specific skills gap - Relatively few employers report staff that are not fully proficient in their jobs. But where they do exist, the most common skills gaps are among professional occupations in the digital sub-sector (27% compared to 9 per cent for the whole economy), and among sales and customer service occupations in the creative sub-sector (25% compared to 19% for the whole economy).

Lack of technology skills - Where technology skills are lacking employers report it impacts on new product development (68% for digital employers, 51% for creative employers and 41% for the whole economy).

Outsourcing work - It also impacts meeting business requirements, in terms of outsourcing work (39% of digital employers, 31% of creative employers and 26% for the whole economy).

Business and Management skills - There is also a need to improve business and management skills, management, planning and organisational skills. These skills are those most commonly identified as the ones that need improving and these are in demand across the economy. However training levels are falling and international competition is rising.

Creative and Digital Sector – Developing a skilled workforce

[Retention] Training - Much of the training undertaken in the Digital and Creative sector is done informally, but more can be done to strength this. Training provision is fragmented and led by learner interest. Only 26% of digital and creative employers reported staff had been trained towards a nationally recognised qualification compared to 44% across all sectors.

[Recruitment] Apprenticeships/internships - The sector could do more to grow the specific skills it needs through apprenticeships/internships and tackle some perennial problems:

- Creative employers often find job-specific skills lacking among graduates
- Entry routes to the creative sector are often characterised by knowing people in the industry and means the sector doesn’t always provide access to the best talent
- Digital employers need to establish alternative entry channels such as Apprenticeships that create ‘home grown’ talent

Digital sub-Sector – Background The digital sub-sector needs to recruit at least 30,000 people qualified at degree level or above each year and currently there are not enough appropriately skilled graduates. Employers need to think creatively about opening up alternative recruitment channels to include; graduates from non-IT courses who can be trained; experienced workers in other sectors who can be retrained and re-entrants to the labour market following career break, early retirement or unemployment.

Women make up only a quarter of the workforce in the digital sub-sector and the proportion is falling. As a result, the digital and creative sector is missing out on a significant proportion of the talent pool. This issue is not only at entry level but also retaining women in the sector is just as much of a challenge.

Creative sub-sector – Background The creative sector needs to recruit at least 50,000 people qualified at degree level or above each year. There is a good supply of graduates from 18,000 creative and media courses on offer at UK HE institutions. But too many courses are producing graduates without the specialist skills needed by employers. Engagement between HE and Creative Media industries is crucial, and there is scope for further engagement through:

- The development of talent and high-level skills for the creative economy
- Activities that enhance the employability and enterprise skills of students and graduates
- Provision of tailored and high-quality continuing professional development (CPD) to the creative industries

National Research – Digital Sector

UKCES - Technology and Skills in the digital industries The Digital sector employs 3 per cent of the UK workforce and contributes nearly £69 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy (7.4 per cent). Skills shortage vacancies equate to 17 per cent of all vacancies in the sector, and are experienced by 3,000 employers. Hard to fill and skill shortage vacancies are concentrated in Professional and Associate Professional and Technical occupations. The most common skills thought to be lacking are job specific, and advanced IT or software skills.

This report is to provide new insights on the role of four emerging technologies which are: cyber security; mobile technologies; Green IT and Cloud Computing, in driving high level skills needs of the wider Digital sector.

**Cyber security**

**Skills needs** – These include a sound base of technical understanding, knowledge and competencies; understanding and awareness of security issues and industry standards; analytical skills, risk analysis and risk management. Communication skills, relationship management, and customer facing presentation skills are also seen critical to achieve active support for Cyber Security from other business leaders.

**Occupations** – There are significant recruitment and skills issues including an inability to source appropriate information security professionals in particular higher level specialists such as Security Architects and Security Analysts.

**Mobile technologies**

**Skills needs** – Agile techniques, technical pre-sales, sales, marketing, account management support and an extensive understanding of customers’ industries are noted as key skills requirements alongside the need for a high degree of interaction between technical specialists, the user experience design team and the end client/customer.

**Occupations** – Mobile technology skills are needed in many IT specialist job roles, whether in design and development, management or support. Highly skilled occupations in mobility include: IT Architects, Developers, User Experience Designers and Project Managers. Hard to find occupations were noted as IT Architects, Developers, User Experience Designers, Testers and Sales and Pre-sales staff.

**Green IT**

**Skills needs** – Key skills requirements are around energy management expertise, data collection and analytics and integration. It was noted that research and development and high level mathematics skills are not readily available, highlighting the need for STEM skills. As found in other technologies investigated for this project, IT skills need to be complemented with sector or domain specific skills (e.g. in construction and logistics). Business and commercial awareness, communication and presentation skills were found to be needed at a higher level to increase awareness of sustainability issues across the business as well as with customers.

**Occupations** – IT architects and Solution Designers are key high level roles for Green IT. Staff working in this area tend to have extensive IT backgrounds, experience and capability before specialising in Green IT. Certifications are less widely used with solid technical background and experience being favoured, perhaps with a higher level degree.

**Cloud computing**

**Skills needs** – A wide range of technical skills are needed for Cloud Computing although security, networking, virtualisation skills and big data analytics are considered to be the key skills for Cloud. However, IT specialists need broader business skill-sets, especially risk management and business stakeholder management, to bridge the divide between IT and wider business operations. **Occupations** – Employers report that generally competition for higher level skills means that they find it difficult to recruit into cloud roles, relying on contractors/consultants while they redeploy and upskill their existing staff.

**Project Specification**

The project will aim to improve the employability and skills of long term unemployed and economically inactive Hounslow residents and aim to move them closer to securing opportunities within the local Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sectors. In particular it should focus on skills and roles that local employers identify as a priority, and where there is expected to be ongoing demand, to maximise chances of sustainable employment for participants.

Currently, the employment and skills team provides support for residents to secure employment through a general job brokerage service. The aim of the project is to provide specialist job brokerage support to businesses and residents in the Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sector.

There are a number of barriers and issues that are experienced by Hounslow residents:

Hounslow has a significant demand for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, with many residents not having English as a first language. In a number of cases migrants who move to the borough are actually highly-skilled from their home countries but because of the language barrier they find themselves in low-paid employment which raises questions about productivity.

Hounslow experiences a substantial churn in the composition of its population due to migration changes, and this churn is particularly concentrated on the central part of the borough. Hounslow is also a very diverse borough in terms of its population and its geography - as the West of borough is in close proximity to Heathrow and the East of the borough bordering Acton and Hammersmith.

A high number of high value and high paid jobs within the borough are actually carried out by people who live outside the borough and not Hounslow residents and in particular this is case for the Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sectors. The majority of Hounslow residents find themselves in low-paid employment within the borough.

The Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills Project should engage fully with on-going and existing plans and strategies within the councils and with other key partners, and where possible work with the services delivered by the skills and employment team, and in particular those which are detailed below:

**Hounslow Job Brokerage Service** - Borough wide job and skills brokerage, which works with local employers to ensure their vacancies can be filled by Hounslow residents. The service provides clients tailored one-to-one support on how to get closer to employment by providing information, advice and guidance [IAG] and where possible removing any barriers to work. The job brokerage service also has a Construction Skills and Employment Officer who specialises in working with employers in the construction, transport and logistics sector. This activity includes providing clients for job vacancies and apprenticeships making sure they have the correct accreditation to work within the sector.

**Careers Coach** - This innovative service provides Hounslow residents with information, advice and guidance on employment, skills and training via a state-of-the-art converted truck, fully equipped with computer stations for residents to work on their CV or job application. The coach aims to provide IAG to residents and sign up clients for Job brokerage and Skills Escalator, and also will offer support to low-paid in work residents who do not qualify for our other projects by signing them up for our work clubs and referring them onto NCS if they require further support.

**Skills Escalator** - The Skills Escalator project aims to help people with low incomes to get training and support to help them improve their skills, and increase their income either through increasing their hours in their current role or by supporting them to find higher-paying jobs.

**Project Requirements**

The Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills ESF project should focus on long term unemployed or economically inactive adults aged 25 and over with a particular focus on ESF target groups which are lone parents, women returners, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. The successful provider will be expected to work with all of these target groups.

The project must work to support a number of different activities to help support local Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sectors – these activities will focus on getting local residents interested in the sector and local opportunities; providing residents with the skills and qualifications linked to skills required by the sector and securing residents into direct employment with local Digital Media/Tech employers.

The Mayor and the Local Employment Partnership (LEP) in November 2015 announced it was launching a £5m Digital Skills Programme, the programme activity will be focused on the 14-24 age group. This project should expect to engage with the LEP delivery partner in the local area to complement the LEP’s activity. Both programmes are supporting different target groups to engage in the same sector and there will be a number of benefits in working together as there might be opportunities for cross-referral and working together to raise awareness of the projects when engaging with both residents and employers. The Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills project provider should seek to coordinate employer contact with the LEP delivery partner to minimise duplication.

The project will engage:

- A number of key stakeholders to successfully deliver the stated outcomes, the expectations will be for the project to develop strong working relationships with key local providers like West Thames College and University of West London to identify appropriate training provision for clients enrolled onto the project.

- Local businesses within the Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sectors to understand their skills requirements, current skills shortages and job opportunities. It should be remembered that different methods will be required to engage the large corporate employers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the sector.

- Existing employment services which are being delivered by the Skills and Employment team at Hounslow Council to ensure that these services all link up and are coordinated.

The project will need to design interactive and creative methods to engage unemployed Hounslow residents from across different parts of the borough to support creating local skilled residents who can work in the local Digital, Media, Tech and Creative sectors. Payments will be on a payment by results/outcome payment model, weighted towards sustained job outcomes as the key outcome-objective of the project. Therefore, funding is allocated against the following measures, and service providers are asked to bid and provide evidence against the numbers and quality of outcomes they propose to deliver against each of the outputs and results in the table below.

| Digital, Media, Tech and Creative Skills Project | |-----------------------------------------------| | Geographical location | Hounslow | | Project Timescale | Contract Period | | | 01/09/2016 to 31/12/2018 | | Outputs for payment | % Conversion | No. of Participants | Unit Cost | Total | Delivery Timescales | | Number of Participants | 115 | | Participants receiving 6+ hours of support (IAG, job search, mentoring, training) | 90% | 104 | £400 | £49,600 | 30/06/2018 | | Participants undertaking a work placement | | 18 | £250 | £4,500 | 30/06/2018 | | Participants achieving vocational qualifications | | 7 | £900 | £6,300 | 30/06/2018 | | Evaluation | | 1 | £4,000 | £4,000 | | Results for payment | | | | | | | Participants in employment/apprenticeship within 4 weeks of leaving the project | 50% | 57 | £1,000 | £57,000 | 30/06/2018 | | Participants who have sustained employment for 26 weeks (out of 32) | 63% | 36 | £1,500 | £54,000 | 31/12/2018 | | Maximum funding available | | | | | £175,400 | 3. Participant Target Groups

London Councils’ ESF Programme 2016-2018 will support the long-term unemployed and economically inactive individuals who are from the specific target groups outlined below. The Programme’s target groups and the relative percentage of starters for each target group are also listed (to the right):

- Economically Inactive: 65%
- Long-term unemployed: 35%

**ESF Target Groups**

- Women: 51%
- Older People (50 years and over): 18%
- Ethnic Minorities: 60%
- Disabled (self-declared): 22%
- Lone Parents: 16%

Your project will be expected to recruit starters from these target groups, and should meet the percentages as shown in the tables above. Note: one individual may be in one or many of the target groups. Applicants will need to consider the appropriate level of childcare to be provided. London Councils expects all projects to provide childcare for participants as required in order to enable them to access this and other support provided on London Councils’ ESF programme.

Therefore when designing your project and writing the application, you should give careful consideration to which target groups you will be supporting, how you will reach and assist them into employment. Where you do not have experience in reaching and working with certain groups, your application must show an agreed partnership with a delivery partner with the required experience and outreach. If a potential participant is not from any target group, you will still be expected to assist them either directly or through signposting.

Where there are insufficient start volumes from the eligible target groups above and the Applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of London Councils that this is despite the Applicant’s concerted efforts, London Councils in agreement with the funding Borough may consider widening the eligibility criteria with respect to the employment status of participants.

Payment may be withheld if the agreed starters target groups percentages are not met.

There is provision in the ESF programme – outside the London Councils ESF programme – for individuals who fit within the NEET target group (people aged 16-18 who are not in employment, education or training). In practice, these individuals are not expected to participate on the London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme 2016-18. Information about programmes for individuals who fit within the NEET target group can be found through the Skills Funding Agency website: [https://lep.london/content_page/skills-funding-agency](https://lep.london/content_page/skills-funding-agency) Core Project Requirements

Eligibility of participants and definitions

Economically inactive - "Inactive" are persons currently not part of the labour force (in the sense that they are not employed or unemployed according to the definitions provided).

Long-term unemployed – Long-term unemployed persons are unemployed persons who are either:

- Youth long-term unemployed (\<25 years of age) = more than 6 months continuous spell of unemployment; or
- Adult long-term unemployed (25 years of age or more) = more than 12 months continuous spell of unemployment.

The target groups for this prospectus are long-term unemployed and the economically inactive. See above for detail.

Individuals who fit within the NEET target group (people aged 16-18 who are not in employment, education or training) are not eligible for the London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme 2016-18. In effect, this means that all participants must be aged 19 or over.

Participants must also meet the following criteria:

- Live within the specified borough:

  - Or where participants are homeless their registered Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) office or temporary/ sheltered accommodation is within the specified borough.

  Participants who engage onto the project, but then ‘move out’ of the specified borough may continue to be supported through the programme.

  (Individuals who live outside the specified borough(s) should be referred to other appropriate support services.)

- Have the right to work in the UK.

- Participants should not be on another ESF funded employment programme where the claimable financial output/result is the same:

  - This includes ESF employment programmes delivered under the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Greater London Authority (GLA), London Councils and Skills Funding Agency.

- Are not already mandated on to the Work Programme:

  - Or are about to be mandated onto the Work Programme or Jobcentre Plus (JCP) approved provision, and the JCP advisor has not approved enrolment onto this programme as an exclusive alternative to the Work Programme. To apply for this Funding, Applicants must be:

- **constituted**: Organisations funded by London Councils must have a constitution or governing document that is signed and dated, and defines how the organisation will operate. A governing document can be a formal constitution, a memorandum or articles of association.

  - Public or Local authority bodies can apply for grants, however the body bidding must be separate and have appropriate ethical walls from the body awarding the funding.

- **able to deliver the work in the borough listed in the project specification**:

- **Financially solvent**: Organisations funded by London Councils must not have liabilities that are more than their current assets.

- **Able to begin delivery of project activity from 5 June 2017**: Unless otherwise stated in the application.

### 4. Project activities, outputs and results

London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme 2016-2018 will support objectives under ESF Priority Axis 1– Inclusive Labour Markets delivering outputs and results for the Investment Priority 1.1.

As a result the Programme aims to improve access to employment for individuals who are far from the labour market, and need assistance to overcome barriers to work.

It will deliver four ESF and Borough jointly funded projects, which aim to:

- improve the employability of the economically inactive and long term unemployed individuals so that they can compete effectively in the labour market
- provide tailored support for those with particular labour market disadvantage(s) (as detailed in Participant Target Groups section) to improve participants’ job readiness and sustainability in employment
- encourage inactive people to participate in the labour market and to improve their employability
- achieve the basic skills needs of the programme’s participants so that they can effectively compete in the labour market.

PLEASE NOTE THIS PROSPECTUS IS FOR ONE BOROUGH PROJECT ONLY. Previous borough projects have been advertised in a separate prospectus.

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3 London Councils will ensure that the scoring process will be open, transparent and fair and that there is no conflict of interests when scoring and in assessment of applications. Within London, there are a number of programmes already providing support to the unemployed, economically inactive, and long term unemployed. In order to avoid duplication, London Councils and participating borough will fund projects that work with the specific target groups and geographical areas defined within the project specification (Section 2).

It is recognised that not all participants will be able to move directly into employment at the end of the project. However, where employment (including self-employment) is a realistic target for individual participants, this is the preferred outcome and this is reflected in the targets agreed with successful applicants.

Outputs and Results for payment

All payments on the London Councils ESF Borough Programme 2016-18 will be made based on the delivery of pre-specified outputs and results. There are a number of standardised outputs and results for delivery across the specification. These are explained below.

Below are all of the specification outputs and result, with associated definitions and evidence requirements. Please note that all of the evidence requirements for output and result payments to be claimed, will also be included in a Project Handbook. Project Handbooks are provided to successful applicants, once the funding agreement with the applicant for delivery of the project is signed with London Councils.

Standard Outputs

Participants receiving six or more hours of one-to-one support

There is no payment for enrolments. Instead, after an advance of 15% (of the total agreed budget) the first payment a project receives will be made against participants who receive a minimum of six hours of support (IAG, job search, mentoring and/or training).

Providers therefore may enrol as many participants as they wish to or have capacity for, however they will only be paid up to the total amount allocated for each payable output. London Councils’ ESF Borough Employment Programme’s remit is to assist those furthest from the labour market and this means that for a successful intervention the majority of participants would need a minimum of six hours of support.

Please note:

- The six hours of support is a milestone which, when passed, allows the project to claim a payment. London Councils requires providers to respond appropriately to participants’ needs; those who need a longer intervention in order to secure success should be accommodated and supported effectively throughout.

- The six hours of support milestone will not include the time taken to register the participant and complete the enrolment form. Time spent doing the induction, needs assessments, action plans and giving information, advice and guidance may be counted. Class work or other group sessions may not be counted if the milestone has been specified as one-to-one sessions only.

- It is recognised that some participants who do not receive six hours of support may still benefit from the programme successfully. Therefore, an employment result may be claimed against any eligible participant, whether or not they have received six hours of support. Any participant for whom a result is claimed must have been enrolled and reported in accordance with London Councils ESF Programme procedures.

- London Councils expects all projects to provide childcare for participants as required in order to enable them to access this and other support provided on London Councils’ ESF programme.

Participant completing work placement/volunteering

Initial results of the London Councils ESF Programme 2016-18 indicate that participants who undertake work placements are more likely to secure employment after leaving the programme than those who do not. London Councils wishes to increase the focus on work placements for the 2016-18 programme and has included work placements as an output for payment. Please note:

- In order to be claimed as an output for payment, the participant must have completed the work placement.
- Work placements are time-limited interventions, giving participants experience of real-life work situations in order to assist them in developing skills, understanding work environments and the expectations of employers. There should be a progression towards paid employment, but the participant should not receive financial compensation for their work (though they may gain financial support with out of pocket expenses e.g. travel, childcare etc.). They should include a structured on-placement training/work plan which takes into account both participant and employer needs and on-placement support to both employer and participant should be provided.

Work placements must be for a fixed period of time totalling not less than 30 hours, over a period of time not exceeding twelve weeks. This can include volunteering as long as it meets the criteria outlined above.

Participant gaining Basic Skills

Basic skills gained upon leaving the operation and as a result of a participant taking part in ESF supported activity. The term ‘basic skills’ refers to one or more of the following: literacy (English); numeracy (maths) or ESOL (where English is not the participant’s \`mother tongue’) (at entry level or above). Further information about Basic Skills is available in the MI Definitions document (p117): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/506534/MI_definitions_Final_V1_20160210.pdf (page 117)

Participant achieving vocational qualifications

Actions to develop skills and promote participation in education/training are central elements of many ESF funded programmes and the monitoring process requires information about the starting position of participants and how this may be influenced through ESF support. Indicators therefore cover the level of educational attainment before support, whether or not any qualifications were gained through ESF support, and subsequent participation in education and training. Please note that we are using the ISCED levels and UK equivalent indicated in the Output and Result Indicator Definitions Guidance for the European Social Fund (pages 131-136). A link to the document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/506534/MI_definitions_Final_V1_20160210.pdf

Participants attending skills events (3+ hours) As part of the participants 6+ hours of support, participants should be attending skills events. Events should enable engagement with large groups of clients at the same time to not only help to increase participants for the project but also raise awareness about the project to providers and employers. This should help to deliver IAG in a different way and act as a successful way of engaging participants and stakeholders.

This could include holding an event on a particular technical skill/s need, which should be employer-led – so for example if many of the participants on the project are programmers or are interested in becoming programmers, the event could link up with local providers and employers to provide presentations and discuss pathways into the profession. For example, discussing soft skills, amending CVs accordingly, and focussing on future trends in the sector

Immediate Results

Participants in employment or apprenticeship, including self-employment within four weeks of leaving the Project

A payment will be made for economically inactive or long term unemployed participants who gain employment within four weeks of leaving the project.

‘Leaving the project’ in this instance marks the date that the participant left the ESF project, after this time no further ‘hours of support’ can be recorded against a paid outcome. However contact and support to participants is expected to be maintained for as long as the participant feels it is necessary and to ensure that the progression is maintained.

To claim this result, the employment must be for 8 or more hours each week, unless otherwise defined in the specification. This may be working for an employer (where their National Insurance is paid directly from their wages) or in self-employment (where people generally pay their National Insurance themselves).

Confirmation of self-employment is required. A letter evidencing registration with HMRC, bank statement of a trading business account or registration with Companies House must be provided. For more information on ESF evidence requirements please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-programme-guidance

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4 Employment outcomes can be claimed for participants that enter employment whilst receiving support from the project or within 4 weeks of their last intervention with the project. Leaving a project marks a stage in the participant’s progression and should not be a marker for the end of project support to the individual or employer. Longer-term Results

Participant in sustained employment (including self-employment) for 26 out of 32 weeks

A further payment will be made for those participants who sustain their employment for a minimum of six months. All sustained employment results must be achieved by the dates stated within each borough’s project specification.

Employment does not necessarily need to be with the same employer for the whole period, but all employment must have clear evidence. It is possible that a participant can have breaks in their employment. However for each sustained result a minimum of 26 weeks of 32 weeks is required and must be achieved by the dates stated within each project specification.

Participant tracking and on-going support

Successful projects will be expected to maintain support and track participants on the programme.

Projects will need to explain within the grant document their methods and proposal for the support and tracking of participants and details of any in-work support or employer interventions they will deliver.

Results can only be claimed once participants leave the project.

Submission of a final evaluation

You will be responsible for commissioning an independent, external evaluation of the impact of the project, at the end of the project. You will be required to support and contribute to this assessment. Applicants must provide for the cost of the evaluation within the budget submitted as part of the application. The final project payment will be contingent on submission of the evaluation.

‘Soft’ outcomes

Recognising individuals’ personal achievements, or soft outcomes, is an important part of helping people towards finding suitable employment. These ‘soft outcomes’ include for example, helping people to acquire greater self-confidence in their potential or taking steps to overcome barriers to employment.

You will be expected to measure the ‘distance travelled’ (progress/improvements made) by participants while on the project, based on prior assessment and recording of suitable steps- (work carried out by project to achieve participant improvements). This may take the form of progress reports or self-assessment questionnaires. As mentioned you will be expected to compile a final evaluation on your project at project close, which will include an assessment of soft outcomes for participants. You should therefore ensure that you collect information on soft outcomes for each participant throughout the lifetime of the project.

5. Added value

London Councils and ESF wish to support projects that could not be delivered without its funding and which bring additional benefits to local provision and individuals. This is called ‘added value’. Your project may provide added value because it increases the number of people who receive the support they need to move towards work, or, because it allows you to do more for people than would otherwise be permitted by other funding streams. Alternatively, this funding may allow you to continue existing activity which would otherwise be cut back or it may allow you to develop new activities or to fill a gap in provision.

Subject to the eligibility criteria in Section 3, organisations which receive a grant from any London Councils or ESF grants programme are welcome to apply for funding under this programme. However, your application should make very clear what additional activity, outputs or achievements you will deliver through this project. Organisations which have previously received a London Councils grant should note that, unlike other grants, the programme cannot fund general organisational costs, only those which relate solely to the cost of the ESF funded project.

**ESF Employment Support Programmes**

Where possible applicants are expected to work with other London ESF Programmes’ providers, some of which are managed by organisations such as:

- Big Lottery
- Skills Fund Agency
- Department for Work & Pensions
- Local Authorities
- Greater London Authority

Details of their provisions can be found at:

https://lep.london/sites/default/files/20160523_Summary_of_ESF_Provision.pdf

https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/england/building-better-opportunities/london

You must ensure there is no duplication of participants or activities with the above ESF programmes in London.

**6. Partnership working**

London Councils wishes to support effective partnership working in project delivery. In particular, we strongly advise delivery organisations to work with partners where complementary expertise is required to deliver a full package of support. For example, where specialist training outside of the provider’s core competencies is required, we would prefer that this provision be outsourced to an experienced specialist provider, rather than providers attempting to establish a new training resource.

You are also expected to form partnerships with other deliverers in order to recruit people from all target groups. You will be scored accordingly. So please take time to secure agreements with other providers – failure to not detail how all target groups will be recruited and assisted will mean your application may fail.

We expect that providers will have established, or be in the final stages of establishing, partnerships prior to submitting their application. All providers intending to work in formal partnership (i.e. where the Applicant, as lead partner, will be paying other partners) must submit partnership agreements with their application which formalise roles and responsibilities within the partnership.

As a minimum, a partnership agreement should contain sections on:

- who the partners are
- roles and responsibilities of each partner
- the timescale for delivery
- equal opportunities (that the partner must ensure equality of opportunity in line with the lead partner’s equal opportunities policy and London Councils and ESF requirements)
- the other cross-cutting themes: sustainable development and health
- monitoring (including which information the partner is required to keep and how often they are expected to report to the lead partner)
- Risks/ mitigation/ contingency plans/ non-delivery/ dispute resolution
- Audit (that the project will be subject to audit)
- Management of partnership (e.g. steering group, partnership meetings)
- Due diligence check of partner organisations (including are they solvent, eligible for London Councils funding)
- termination
- finance and payments (including how much money will be paid to the partner organisation by the lead organisation, what the money will cover)
- deadlines for reporting to the lead partner
- It is the lead partner’s responsibility to ensure it holds all records relating to any aspect of delivery of the project (including those of partners) until December 2026. This is in line with ESF rules on document retention in ESF Programme Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-programme-guidance.
- Publicity Branding and publicity requirements for the 2014 to 2020 European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund

This type of agreement ensures that project delivery by project partners takes place as discussed and ensures that each partner is clear about what it needs to achieve as part of the project.

7. Submitting an application

Gateway questions

All applicants are required to complete a short series of gateway questions in order to determine their eligibility for funding. See Annex A. These will appear as the first stage of the application process once you have created an account. See below for details.

If an application does not satisfy these questions, it will be considered ineligible. In such cases, the application and its annexes will not be scored.

Before you begin writing your application The funded projects within the London Councils’ ESF Borough Employment Programme support the strategic objectives and priorities outlined in the London 2014-2020 ESIF Strategy and the ESF European Operational Programme 2014-2020.

As a result, there are certain conditions for this funding which are outlined in the previous and following sections. Please read this guidance carefully before completing the application and consult us (please see our contact details in Section 19) if anything is unclear.

If your organisation has previously applied for funding from London Councils, you are welcome to reapply in this round. However, please note that some changes have been made to the application form and to the process itself, as well as to the way in which London Councils will fund projects under this Round.

If you have any queries relating to the project specification and how to apply, please contact one of the London Councils ESF officers. If you need further guidance or support in putting together your application, you may contact London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC). They are planning to run 1:1 surgeries and workshops. It may be necessary to make an appointment to speak to LVSC and applicants are treated on a first come first served basis.

Applications for the London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme 2016-2018 have to be submitted through an online application process:

https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_668/?SA=SNA&FID=35071

Deadline for all applications: 12 noon, 7th April 2017

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for any reason.

Leave yourself enough time to complete, review and amend the information you provide, upload the required documents and submit your online form before the deadline. Deadline days are often busy and you may not be able to reach a member of London Councils staff if you have any technical queries with submitting the form.

All applications must be submitted through the online form and the Annexes provided on the Programme’s website, which, together with the prospectus, can be downloaded from here:

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/grants/esf

The application form includes guidance for each section you need to complete and Annexes you need to upload.

Each scored sections will indicate the maximum available score. Please note that your application includes the completion of the Risk Register and Track Record. These are also scored as standalone sections. All other attachments are not scored separately; however, they will support some of the scored sections and will be considered during the assessment process. The person scoring your application can only assess the information stated in your application. You must assume that they know nothing about your organisation, or the needs of your community, so be clear about what activities you are going to do and for whom. There will be no cross references of answers and each answer should be completed fully, as responses for any one question cannot be secured from an answer included for any other question. Please note to be considered for funding, your application must score above 45%.

Things to remember about your online form

Once you have created a log-in to our form, you can save your on-line application at any point and come back to it later.

Once you have saved your on-line application you can open and change the form from any computer.

Help: If you need further assistance/information.

- Firstly read this guidance section.
- Secondly refer to the FAQs (these will be updated regularly) http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/grants/esf-programme/documents
- Thirdly if you still have not been able to find an answer then please email us. Your question and our response will be posted on the FAQs page. Please send your questions before 22nd March 2017 as we may be unable to answer questions after that date.

Completing your online application form

i. Step one: Create an account login and access the online form

Click on the following link

https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_668/?SA=SNA&FID=35071

to create a login and access a new form, (or copy and paste into your internet address bar).

Now you will see this screen, where you create your account and login.

- Click on ‘New Applicant’
- You will be taken to a new page New Applicant?

An account allows you to access your saved and submitted applications at any time, also allows us to send you a submission confirmation e-mail and notify you if additional information is necessary to process your application.

E-mail

Confirm E-mail

Password (minimum of 5 characters)

Confirm Password

Continue

- **Enter your email address.** The email address must work as we will be using this to contact you about your application and you need it to access a form that you have already started.

- **Verify your email address** (by typing it again)

- **Create a password.** It must be at least five letters long - for example - 'Lychee'.

- **Verify password** (by typing it again)

- Click on the button marked ‘continue’ and you will move straight into the online form.

You must remember your email address and password as you will need it every time you log into your account.

You can save and close your form, by clicking on ‘save and finish later’ now and at any time and return to the form by accessing your account.

To return to your account (where you can access forms already started) click on:

http://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_668

ii. **Step two: Complete the online form**

This part of the guidance includes details on how to complete the online application form.

1. **Technical help for using the online form**

The information below will take you through how to use the online form to answer the questions. For most of the form you are asked to simply type your answers into a box under the question. Sometimes you are required to tick a box, select from options or upload a document. The guidance on completing each section is included within the question, upload area or the set template. You will only be able to write in plain text within the answer boxes, therefore you will not be able to use formatting features (e.g. bolding, underlining, resizing and spacing). You can structure your text by adding line breaks and empty rows. Please bear in mind that scorers will have large amounts of information to process, and that it is in your interest to be as clear and concise as possible.

**Mandatory fields**

You must answer all questions marked with a purple diamond. If you do not answer these questions you will not be able to submit your application.

**Spell check**

Where you see a red tick you can click on it to perform a spell check.

**Word limit**

There is a word limit to some questions. Where this is the case the counter will show you how many words are left from the total allowed. Please note that row breaks will not count toward the word count.

**Attachments**

You will be required to upload a number of attachments to your application form.

______________________________________________________________________

**Before you can attach the documents online you need electronic versions of your documents saved onto your computer.**

**Retain the original format and file extension for all the set templates.**

If you don’t have electronic copies of other documents to be uploaded (e.g. Constitution) then you can scan the paper copies and save them in a folder on your computer.

The maximum size for all attachments combined is 50MB. Files with .exe .com .vbs or .bat will not upload.

______________________________________________________________________

Uploading a document is similar to attaching a document to an email.

- To do this click on the ‘browse’ button next to the attachment you wish to upload.
- This will take you to documents on your pc/network. Search for the correct folder.
- Select the correct document and click ‘open’.
- Now click on the button ‘upload’.
- **If you do not click ‘upload’ your document will not be uploaded to the form.**
- If you have uploaded the wrong document simply click on ‘remove’.

______________________________________________________________________

2. **How to save, print and return to your form**

**Saving your work** Once you are into the question part of the form you can save what you’ve done and come back to it at any point by pressing the ‘save and finish later’ button.

We strongly advise you to save your form as you go along. If you have not saved and your computer crashes you will lose all your work.

Once you have saved your work you will be taken to this screen (below). Simply click on your application and carry on working.

To return to your form

Click on the following link.

https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_668

Log into your account using the email and password you created at the log in stage. You will see the screen above. To go back to your un-submitted application make sure the drop down menu states ‘In Progress Applications’ click onto the link to go back to your form.

If you have submitted your form you can still view it as a link under the ‘Submitted Applications’ in the drop down menu.

To print

Click Save and finish, come back to your form. Click on button ‘printer friendly version’ to print.

Please note you always need to click ‘save’ before printing your application so that your most up to date version prints out. Do not send us your printed version; simply use it to check your work. **London Councils can only accept online applications** (unless in exceptional circumstances in which we ask that you please contact us in advance, and within deadline date).

Additionally, if you are a disability led organisation and need additional time to complete the application process, London Councils need to be informed of this within deadline date. Where an extension is awarded, London Councils will do this in writing before the standard submittal deadline.

3. **Completing the form – questions**

The online application form is divided into five main sections:

1. Introduction;

2. Your organisation;

3. Your project summary;

4. Your project delivery;

5. Declaration.

6. **Introduction**

The form starts with introductory text covering the assessment of applications. Please read this carefully.

The information below will give you guidance on the information required to answer each question.

**Documents you will need:**

- Most attachments are compulsory to complete the application. These are marked with the sign; ✷
- Some attachments only apply if your proposed project has delivery partners

2. Your organisation

Give details of the lead organisation applying for the funding on this page of the application form.

You will also need to upload:

- a signed and dated copy of your constitution or memorandum and articles of association and
- a copy of your public and employer’s liability insurance certificates on this page.

3. **Your project summary**

Provide general information about your project on this page. This includes the:

- project title;
- specification you are applying for;
- delivery start and end dates;
- project summary;
- delivery partner details (including attachments if applicable);
- contact details for referee.

4. **Declaration**

This is the final page of the form. You must select ‘yes’ from the drop down menu if you agree that:

- You have read and understood the information contained in the London Councils Application Prospectus;
- the proposed activity is within the objects of your organisation's constitution;
- London Councils will share the application form and its contents with the participating borough and the City of London Corporation;
- this application has the support of your organisation's governing committee/board of trustees/senior management;
- all the information you have supplied is accurate;
- the information you have supplied about the proposed service is a realistic indication of what your organisation could achieve.

**IMPORTANT:**

You must select ‘YES’ for your application to be assessed.

**Requirements**

We are not permitted to consider any additional information received after the application deadline so please make sure that you have included all the required information and attachments.

If you are aware that submitting an application may give rise to a potential conflict of interest please inform the London Councils. A conflict of interest maybe where you are related to a member or staff officer of London Councils or you have privileged information about London Councils that places you at an unfair advantage over other applicants in the application process.

London Councils is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. You should be aware that the information you submit may be subject to a request for information from the public and London Councils may be required to provide information to external parties.

**Data protection**

Part or all of the information you give us will be held on computer and used for statistical purposes. It will also be used for the administration of applications and awards. We may provide copies of the information in confidence to individuals or organisations that are helping us assess applications or monitor funding. We may also be required to provide information contained in your application if we receive freedom of information request. Finishing the form

- Now you are at the end of the form you may:

  - You may wish to save and finish later. You may wish to print a copy to proof read it and save it.
  - When you are ready to submit – click on ‘review and submit’
  - If you have left any mandatory fields blank, or submitted the wrong kind of information (for example text in a box that can only accept numbers) a list of errors will appear in red as below.

- The red warning sign and red text will then appear next to any field that you need to amend.

- **IMPORTANT**: Once you have amended the fields, click on the button marked ‘update’ or the changes will not be saved.

- Once you have amended the fields and clicked ‘update’ a final version will appear for you to review. • Once you are happy click on the button marked ‘submit’

Save & Finish Later Submit

• You will be taken to your account page, where you will see the following message.

Applications

Thank you! Your application has been submitted.

Important information

You must click ‘submit’ to send each application.

You will automatically be sent a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted form.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, you have not submitted your online form correctly.

Please check and submit again.

Once submitted you cannot amend your form but you can view it through your account. 8. Horizontal Principles (Formerly Cross Cutting Themes)

London Councils’ ESF Programme 2014–2020 will focus on the ESF Investment Priority 1:

**Inclusive labour Markets to** Improving the employability and skills of the unemployed and economically inactive people.

There are also two Horizontal Principles that must be addressed in each funded project: Sustainable Development and Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination.

**Sustainable development**

The Sustainable Development principle of social, economic and environmental organisational responsibilities builds on the approach adopted in the 2007-2013 ESF programme and lessons learned during that programme.

These sustainable developments were defined as developments which provided:

- skills that businesses demand and require – now and in the future (support for the economy by expanding the labour market);
- opportunities to allow everyone to fulfil their potential (support for social justice); and
- environmental protection and enhancement through the delivery of projects (support for the environment).

The objectives for ESF Programme 2014-2020 will be pursued in line with the Sustainable Development principle, including the aim of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment as well as the need to prepare for expected changes to the environment and climate.

London Council’s ESF Borough Employment programme will also support the Social Responsibility aspect of the Principle by achieving progress that recognises the needs of everyone and assists participants towards social inclusion and independent living through employment.

Therefore project providers must have sustainable development governance, policies and implementation plans that explain:

a) their commitment to promoting sustainable development and complying with relevant EU and domestic environmental legislation; and

b) how the commitment will be turned into action at project level.

During the life time of each ESF Borough Employment project, London Councils and GLA will be assessing compliance to these policies and plans.

Projects will be monitored and this will include basic checks such as ensuring that sustainable development policies and implementation plans are in place and that appropriate action is being taken to implement them.

Therefore your application should demonstrate an understanding of the need for good environmental performance and management in keeping with the ethos and achievement of sustainable development in the UK. All projects will be required to consider impact in relation to; energy, water, waste, purchasing and transport. You should also demonstrate how you will integrate relevant aspects of sustainable development into courses you run and/or use the environment as a medium for training delivery. You are required to provide a copy of your sustainable development and/or environmental policy at the application stage. If your organisation doesn’t have a sustainable development policy, please include a statement with your application explaining that the organisation does not yet have a sustainable development policy. Any organisation selected for London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme funding that does not yet have a sustainable development policy will be required to implement such a policy by the end of the first year of delivery.

**Equal opportunities and non-discrimination**

London Councils’ ESF Borough Employment Programme will also promote equal opportunities and non-discrimination. All delivery partners will be required to adhere to the principles and processes set out in EU and UK equality legislation.

The principles promote equality into the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ESF funded activity:

- no exclusion on the grounds of protected characteristics;
- projects are designed to meet the needs of all potential participants;
- services are responsive to the needs of all communities and under-represented groups;
- support is targeted towards under-represented communities where relevant;
- responsiveness to, and inclusiveness of, under-represented groups in delivery and management.

ESF’s 2014-20 programme builds on the lessons learned from the ESF 2007-13 programmes, including the findings of an evaluation of the mainstreaming of gender equality and equal opportunities within the ESF in England in 2010(^5). The lessons learnt can be found in research published in 2011 that focussed on the engagement of women in ESF provision(^6) and an evidence report published in August 2013 on helping disabled people.

As a result there is good practice guidance in promoting gender equality. It includes a checklist that will be used to help inform core criteria for project selection along with other equality-related criteria.

The principles of equal opportunities is embedded in London Councils’ project selection arrangements, grant performance management and monitoring.

In support of the principles, the ESF Borough Employment programme will target groups such as the long term unemployed people, inactive people, lone parents, disabled people, people from ethnic minorities, and older people, and we have set output targets to ensure that we help appropriate numbers of these people. The strategy section makes clear that as the economy improves our focus will increasingly be on those who face multiple disadvantages.

All ESF activities should be accessible to disabled people and responsive to their needs. The investment priorities on access to employment and active inclusion can support activities focused on improving the employability of disabled people and those with health conditions. Active inclusion will help those furthest from employment and who often experience other disadvantages.

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(^5) Evaluation of Gender Equality & Equal Opportunities within the European Social Fund by Carol McNaughton Nicholls, Martin Mitchell, Ashley Brown, Nulifer Rahim, Emma Drever and Cheryl Lloyd

(^6) Skills Funding Agency: Engaging unemployed women in ESF funded training: research by National Institute of Adult Continuing Education for the Skills Funding Agency. September 2011 People from ethnic minorities should be able to access ESF provision in all investment priorities. Interventions must be tailored to the needs of people from different ethnic minority groups in each locality, and where appropriate targeted on specific groups. There is a strong case for interventions targeted at groups with low employment and high inactivity rates in the access to employment and active inclusion investment priorities, e.g. women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, especially in areas with high concentrations of people from ethnic minorities.

Activities in the access to employment, active inclusion and access to lifelong learning investment priorities will respond to the needs of older people. Specific activities will be delivered to help improve the participation of older women, depending on local needs.

**Equality between men and women**

Although female participation in the English labour market has increased, there is still a gender gap in employment of 11.7% with a male employment rate of 81.6% and a female rate of 69.9% (for those aged 20-64). Part of the gap can be attributed to different levels of inactivity in the labour market (26.1% for women and 13.5% for men, aged 20-64 in England). Labour Force Survey (LFS) data show that, at a UK level, 25% of economically inactive women would be interested in working.

The Officer for National Statistics (ONS) report ‘Women in the Labour Market’ (2013) explained that the low ranking for female employment rates in London and Birmingham was linked to the diverse ethnic population with some women not in work due to looking after families. Looking at the most recent city data, Birmingham has the lowest employment rate for women (55.9% for women aged 16-64). Help should be aimed at inactive women from ethnic minorities in England’s cities, including those with caring responsibilities (child or elder care) and who are multiply disadvantaged.

The extension of the state pension age for women has increased the number of older women in the scope of unemployment. Since 2010 there are more older (over 50) women in work and more looking for work – employment is up 655,000 and unemployment up 14,000 (UK figures). Disadvantaged older women should be targeted for support if they wish to find work (or stay in work).

Some women want to work longer hours. There are 4.8 million females in England who work part-time and 1.5 million males. The majority work part-time because they want to – figures are not available for England but at a UK level, only 743,000 out of 6.07 million women (12.2%) work part-time because they couldn't find a full-time job.

London Council and ESF funding within this Borough Employment programme will be used to help address these issues. Activities for ESF support should include innovative outreach and holistic support with a vocational focus. Providers must consider activities and support for at least one of these groups:

- Inactive women from ethnic minorities, including those with child or elder care responsibilities, and who are often multiply disadvantaged. Barriers include: childcare; lack of skills or work experience due to starting family at a young age; no opportunity to acquire skills before starting a family.

- Lone parents. Barriers include: inflexible jobs/employers (poor work/life balance), concerns about possible financial instability and lack of skills/recent skills. Examples of activities to be supported include job search skills, vocational training, remedial training and basic skills support. • Disadvantaged older unemployed women. Barriers include age discrimination, low confidence and elder care responsibilities. Activities to be supported include job search training, skills refresher training and mentoring/confidence building.

• Women who are inactive but who would be interested in working. Barriers include lack of motivation and confidence, lack of skills, outdated skills and difficulties in travelling to work. Activities to be supported include confidence building support, job-search training, job-specific training, work experience and mentoring support.

• Women seeking career advancement and/or progressing from part-time to full-time work, or at least increasing their hours at work. Barriers include seasonal work, sectors with a high concentration of part-time work and age (younger people are more likely to be underemployed). Activities to be supported include upskilling/vocational qualifications and identifying progression routes. (Investment Priority 2.1)

Project applicants submitting applications will be required to explain how they will actively promote gender equality through the design and delivery of their projects. For example, a grant application for in-work training should require the applicant organisation to explain how it will ensure that female employees will have access to support, including those who may be working part-time and/or have childcare needs.

Providers targeting disadvantaged people and other groups are also required under the Equality Act 2010 to do so with a corresponding gender focus. This will include actively encouraging more women to take part in the programme, as well as making sure that the type and nature of support offered is appropriate and helps meet the needs of women, including disadvantaged women.

Programme providers will be expected to consider the needs of women in a number of key areas of design and delivery of their services, for example by:

• promoting gender equality throughout their recruitment process; • offering information, advice and guidance; • providing or procuring childcare support where this might be a barrier to participation; • ensuring that the structure and content of the activities delivered are suitable and appropriate for women and men; • ensuring that provision is accessible, flexible and gender-sensitive where necessary.

London Councils will ensure that there is regular monitoring of the participation rates for women and men. Results data will also be monitored and reported to GLA’s European Performance Management Unit (EPMU). 9. Monitoring and reporting on your project

London Councils has to report to the Managing Authority for ESF on the progress of the ESF programme each quarter as part of the procedure for claiming funds. These reports will include data on participants, on project activities and on total expenditure.

Successful applicants will therefore be required to submit reports at the end of each quarter. These reports will enable London Councils to meet the ESF and its own reporting requirements but will also form the basis for monitoring your project progress and achievements. Organisations will be given full advice in the pre-agreement phase on the information that must be recorded and reported and the implications for project procedures and systems.

**Employability Performance Rating**

ESF funded projects in London are also required to implement the Employability Performance Rating system. The Performance Rating is a comprehensive tool to benchmark the achievements of employability delivered by service providers in London. The rating system awards a rating of between four and zero stars against three key areas: Grant Performance, Quality and Grant Compliance.

| Key Area (KPA) | Weighting of the KPA | Indicators | Weighting of Indicator | |-------------------------|----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|------------------------| | Grant Performance | 60% | • Delivery against grant targets | 48% | | | | • Delivery against grant diversity targets | 12% | | Quality | 30% | • Conversion Factor | 12% | | | | • Self-assessment of quality | 9% | | | | • Participant Satisfaction | 9% | | Grant Compliance | 10% | • Grant compliance and provider pro-activity | 10% |

The Performance Rating is collected from funded projects quarterly with results made public and published biannually on the London Datastore ([http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/lepr-esf-2014-20](http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/lepr-esf-2014-20)).

More information regarding the Employability Performance Rating requirements will be provided during the grant agreement process and the reporting systems will be provided to you. However an overview of the requirements can be found here: [http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/lepr-esf-2014-20](http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/lepr-esf-2014-20) 10. Financial information

London Councils ESF programmes pay providers on the basis of unit prices per output and result. In other words, your project will be paid for the delivery of certain pre-specified outputs and results. The budget available for each output and results is fixed and stated in the project specification along with the specification descriptions.

Please note that London Councils expects that your intended project delivery activities are not dependent on other sources of funding. By planning your delivery on the basis of actual costs, your organisation should be able to compare the anticipated budget for delivering the specification with the funding available. Please note that unless otherwise stated in the specification, the funding and, where appropriate, the number of outputs/results represent the maximum funding available.

Please also note that London Councils reserves the right, in agreement with the participating borough, to reduce or increase the value of the grant by up to 100% in line with performance.

You will be required to submit a project budget as part of your application. Whilst you will be paid on the basis of grant agreement costs, London Councils’ assessors will be looking at your project budget to check that your application represents value for money, and that all costs included are ESF eligible. Assessors will also be checking to see that you have included enough staff in your budget to deliver the project. In addition, assessors will be checking that you have included adequate provision for participant support measures such as childcare and also for publicity. Your budget is part of your application for funding and will be scored as such.

Staff costs

In this section of the application form you should provide details of all the costs that relate to staffing your project. List the job title of the staff member involved and a short explanation of how the cost was calculated. If there are any other costs relating to staff (e.g. travel, subsistence etc.) you should include them in this section. You should give a brief explanation of how you calculated your costs, to enable assessors to clearly understand what is being applied for.

For example -

| Item | Calculation | Amount | |-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------|---------| | Trainer | 5hrs per month x 9 months x £16 per hr | £720 | | Travel to outreach centre | 1 person x £3 x 2 per wk x 34 weeks | £204 |

Participant costs

In this section of the application form you should provide details of all the costs relating to items that you will provide to participants. For example, childcare, out of pocket travel costs, allowances, refreshments, equipment that participants may need for training (e.g. protective clothing), and so on. All entries should be itemised and calculations shown to explain the costs.

For example:

| Item | Calculation | Amount | |-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------|---------| | Childcare/carer allowance | £50 per wk x 7 people x 34 weeks | £11,900 | | Travel | 10 people x £3 x 3 per wk x 34 weeks | £3,060 | London Councils expects all projects to provide child or dependent care for participants as required in order to enable them to access the programme.

**Other costs**

In this section of the application form you should provide details of any other costs of your project, which do not relate to staff or participants. This will include other direct and indirect costs of the project, for example, small items of equipment, exam fees, publicity materials, postage, photocopying etc. Indirect costs, which are shared organisational costs e.g. rent, utilities, that cannot be connected directly to project activity and which are difficult to attribute to the project may be claimed but must be apportioned appropriately. Indirect project costs cannot represent more than 15% of the proposed budget.

**Eligible items of expenditure**

Funding can cover all the running costs of your project as long as they are ESF eligible (please see ESF National Eligibility rules [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-programme-guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-programme-guidance)) and you list them in your application. When budgeting, if some items are used for both this project and your other activities, you should apportion the cost as appropriate.

This funding does not cover capital expenditure; it only covers the costs associated with setting up and running your project. However you are permitted to include the purchase of small items of equipment under the value of £1000 per item which are necessary for the delivery of your project.7

**11. Publicity arrangements**

ESF funding carries requirements to adhere to the ESF 2014-20 publicity guidance:

- ensure that potential and actual participants, project partners, and employers, are aware of the source of support;
- publicise project successes; and
- participate as far as is practicable in London and national ESF publicity initiatives, including providing information for public directories of projects.

For example, London Councils and ESF logos should be present on all information and forms given to participants and included in all project publicity produced. Further guidance on publicity will be given to successful applicants.

All publicity materials developed to advertise or promote the project will need to be made available for inspection and approved prior to use.

For more detail on ESF publicity requirements, please visit [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470206/ESIF_Publicity_Requirements_v2_221015.pdf](https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470206/ESIF_Publicity_Requirements_v2_221015.pdf).

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7 The purchase of a computer is understood to be a maximum of £999 for the complete computer. You cannot claim separately for each component part such as the monitor, keyboard etc. The computer is to be a complete set up. 12. Assessment process

Assessment against criteria The selection process for making an appeal will be as open, objective and fair as possible but because the amount of funding available through London Councils ESF Programme is limited, only a small number of projects can be supported.

All applications will be carefully assessed against the criteria set out in the ESF Borough Employment Prospectus and their fit with the stated objectives will be judged. The Project’s proposed outputs and value for money will also be assessed e.g. assessors will check your budget to see that you have given due consideration to staff numbers and participant costs and the track record of your organisation will be considered. Funds are limited and not all projects that apply will receive funding. It is therefore important that you demonstrate in your project application how your project meets the criteria laid out in this guidance.

Your project must fit the specification outlined in Section 2. Once the assessor is satisfied that your project and organisation is eligible for support, the rest of your application will be scored by awarding points against each of the assessment questions in the Application form. Instructions on completing the application form are included with each question in the application, and should be read carefully before you complete your answer.

Each application will be scored separately by two independent assessors, generally a representative from the Borough Officer and London Councils. The application form sets out the points available for each part of each question. These assessors will then come together to discuss the application and definitive score for your project proposal.

Applications will also be assessed against your project’s ability to promote equality and social inclusion as well as sustainable development (Questions C7 a) and b) – Horizontal Principles in the Application form). Applicants will therefore be required to score at least 3 marks (out of a possible 6 marks) for Question C7a)-Equal Opportunities and non-discrimination. And score at least 1 mark (out of a possible 6 marks) for Question C7b)-Sustainable development. If you do not achieve at least the minimum marks above for the above questions your application will not proceed.

Your application can only be assessed on the information stated in your application. You must assume that the scorers know nothing about your organisation, or the needs of your community, so be clear about what activities you are going to do and for whom. There will be no cross references of answers and each answer should be completed fully, as responses for any one question cannot be secured from an answer included for any other question. Please note to be considered for funding, your application must score above 45%.

References London Councils intends to reference delivery organisations through its network of Borough grants officers, to verify whether the organisation has experience of working within the Borough and with the particular participant group relevant to this application.

If you do not consider that the relevant officer has sufficient knowledge of your organisation to provide this reference, please supply details of an alternative referee in the application form. The internal appraisal panel Following scoring, an internal appraisal panel will convene to review the each project application and the proposed joint scores. The Panel is comprised of senior representatives from London Councils’ ESF Team. Other participants may be invited to join the appraisal panel should the number of applications warrant this.

The Panel will be recommending the successful applicants to the External Panel. In addition to the joint scores, the Panel will take into account further factors such as previous experience, value for money and the project’s fit within London Councils’ ESF Programme. This will ensure that projects funded under the ESF Programme collectively meet the whole range of target groups and that there is a good mix of projects and that there is a fair spread of projects geographically across London related to need. The panel will consider the geographic coverage of the provision, and coverage could be a deciding factor when funding is awarded.

The recommendations of the Panel will be reported to the external panel for final sign-off. All applicants will be informed of their scores and provided feedback on their application. Applicants will then have the opportunity to make an appeal against the score and/or feedback.

Appeals Applicants will be given 10 working days to submit an appeal against the funding decisions made by the Internal Appraisal Panel. Please note we will only accept one appeal per application submitted. No new information relating to the application can be considered.

Due to the limited funding available, it is likely that a number of good proposals will not be successful. Most disappointed applicants think that their application deserved a higher score. The appeals process will provide the applicant with clarification or a further explanation of a score. An appeal based on the fact that the project has been successful in the past will not be investigated further. ESF Officers will consider the appeal received and update the Internal Appraisal Panel recommendations for review by the External Panel.

External panel The External Panel will provide the final judgement on applications.

This panel is comprised of:

- a representative(s) from a suitable general voluntary sector umbrella organisation;
- borough representative(s); and
- representative(s) of the Intermediate Body for ESF in London (the GLA’s European Programmes Management Unit).

The Panel’s judgement will be based on the information provided the Internal Panel. This is to ensure that the projects chosen meet ESF and London Councils’ corporate aims and objectives. It will also help to ensure that there is no duplication of activities. We can provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants. The Pre-agreement meeting

The Pre-agreement meeting will take place between the provider, London Councils appointed ESF performance manager and possibly a representative from the borough providing match funding. The meeting aims to outline the London Councils’ project delivery process including:

- Roles and responsibilities between London Councils and your project
- Review working relationships with project partners (include SLAs)
- Confirmation of the outputs and results your project will deliver
- Agreement of the Project’s Delivery Schedule
- Review Risk Register and intended actions to manage risks
- Explain London Councils’ ESF monitoring and payment arrangements
- Confirm evidence requirements for expenditure, outputs and results
- Confirm evaluation requirements
- Confirm publicity requirements
- Confirm General Data Protection Regulation requirements

At the meeting, a list of actions will be drawn up which must be completed before your organisation can be awarded its funding agreement. These will include but are not limited to:

- Your signed project delivery schedule profile
- Your bank details template completed and stamped
- Your Borough Cashflow forecast
- Clarification of any outstanding due diligence issues or issues identified in your application
- A signed copy of the Service Level Agreement’s between you and your partners.

13. Payment arrangements

London Councils provides an advance payment to all funded organisations. Up to 15% of the agreed grant will be paid in advance to providers upon satisfactory completion of funding agreements with London Councils. Payments in the final quarters of delivery will be reduced to take into account the initial first advance payment.

London Councils will then pay providers quarterly in arrears on the basis of project costs. Projects will be paid for the delivery of pre-specified outputs and results. These are described in Section 2 Project Specification.

Please note: London Councils is generally unable to recover any Value Added Tax charged. Therefore, the maximum sum stated in the project specification listed above includes any VAT or other taxes charged. Under the provision of item 5A to group 6 of schedule 9 of the VAT Act 1994, the supply of education or vocational training funded by London Councils, and the supply by the person providing that education or training, of any goods or services essential to that provision, is an exempt supply for VAT purposes. In addition, the maximum sum stated in the project specification should include provision for direct costs to participants such as childcare, travel, subsistence, or participant incentives. 14. Contacts

For queries regarding the application process please contact:

Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru, London Councils ESF Priority Manager maxine.quintyne-kolaru@londoncouncils.gov.uk 020 7934 9835

Karen Ferguson, London Councils ESF Borough Employment Programme Manager karen.ferguson@londoncouncils.gov.uk 020 7934 9954

Simon Courage, London Councils Head of Community Services and Grants. simon.courage@londoncouncils.gov.uk 020 7934 9901

Ann Britton, London Councils ESF Performance Manager ann.britton@londoncouncils.gov.uk 020 7934 9952

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/grants/esf-programme

For other support, including a discussion of your project, please contact:

Support for Bidders

VCS Assist 2.0 is an EU part-funded project supporting voluntary and community sector organisations in London to successfully access the European Social Fund and deliver ESF projects. It succeeds the VCS Assist project which operated during the 2007-2013 ESF Round.

VCS Assist 2.0 project partners, London Voluntary Service Council and the Evelyn Oldfield Unit, will deliver:

- One to one surgeries for organisations intending to apply for or holding ESF funding, providing a range of support from application guidance, complying with ESF requirements and ESF project management

- Workshops focusing on particular skills required for ESF and opportunities

- Forum events, bringing together organisations interested in ESF from across London to share information and provide networking opportunities

- Regular updates on ESF opportunities and progress, including through the vcsassist.org.uk website and monthly e-bulletins. Further queries about the VCS Assist 2.0 programme should be directed to:

**Steve White**, Policy Officer – Employment and Skills\
Stevegwhite.eu@gmail.com\
info@lvsc.org.uk\
020 7832 5811

London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC)\
2nd floor, 200a Pentonville Road\
London N1 9JP

http://www.lvsc.org.uk/ 15. ESF Programme Guidance Documents

This section provides the latest information and guidance documents to help you understand how to develop and deliver ESF compliant projects. All providers should acquaint themselves with these guidance documents.

The latest version of the documents below can be found at the following site:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470206/ESIF_Publicity_Requirements_v2_221015.pdf

Background Information on European Social Funds

ESF Operational Programme for England 2014 to 2020

The European Social Fund Operational Programme sets out the strategy and priorities for use of the Fund to support the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

ESIF Strategy

This document outlines; London’s key areas for ESF (and ERDF) investment against its Jobs and Growth Plan priorities.

Project Delivery Information

Eligibility rules for the 2014 to 2020 European Social Fund

European Social Fund programme guidance

European Social Fund data evidence requirements - eligibility and results guidance

Branding and publicity requirements for the 2014 to 2020 European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund

European Social Fund guidance on document retention

Output and result indicator definitions guidance for the European Social Fund

This prospectus invites applications for ESF grants. It is not a procurement tender, however, providers under the prospectus may procure services and will therefore have to follow ESF procurement guidance:

Procurement law compliance guidance note

Procurement aide memoire for applicants and grant recipients Annex A

Gateway questions:

1. Does your organisation have a Constitution, Memorandum of Association or Articles of Association?

2. Are you organisationally a going concern?

3. Does your organisation have a copy of its most recent signed accounts (audited accounts where required)?

4. Does your organisation have an Equal Opportunities Policy?

5. Does your organisation have a Sustainable Development Policy?

6. Does your organisation have a Health & Safety Policy?

7. Do you commit to taking out the appropriate levels of insurance required to deliver the project?

8. Will you provide the specified services of the project to residents of the borough where you are applying to deliver a project in and detailed in the relevant specification? (Hounslow)?

9. Can you provide evidence that your organisation has policies in place that adhere to the data protection act?

Failure to provide any of the documents or other evidence specified may result in your application being not pursued.

Should your application be successful, the provision of and our approval of, your organisation’s child and adult safeguarding policies will also be a condition of grant funding.